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GENESIS CHAPTER 3
OBSERVATION STAGE
The observation stage is to teach an individual to focus on the text at hand which, by and large, has all the information necessary to understand what it is saying without going on unnecessary tangents elsewhere.
Remember that something elsewhere may be true, but in the text at hand it may not be in view.
XIV) [Gen 3:14 NKJV]:
(v. 3:14 NKJV) "So the LORD God said to the serpent: 'Because you have done this, you are cursed more than all cattle, and more than every beast of the field; on your belly you shall go, and you shall eat dust all the days of your life.' "
A) FOR DECEIVING EVE AND CAUSING HER AND ADAM TO SIN, THE LORD GOD CURSED THE SERPENT WHO WAS POSSESSED BY SATAN, GOD'S ADVERSARY, MORE THAN ANY OTHER CREATURE, RELEGATING SERPENTS NOW TO CRAWL ON THEIR BELLIES, EATING DUST AS A SIGN OF JUDGMENT UPON SATAN'S REBELLION
(v. 3:14 NKJV) "So the LORD God said to the serpent: 'Because you have done this, you are cursed more than all cattle, and more than every beast of the field; on your belly you shall go, and you shall eat dust all the days of your life.' " =
God spoke to the particular serpent in the garden of Eden in a manner consistent with one who had demonstrated highly intelligent, subtle and evil qualities, but wholly inconsistent with such an earthly creature as God had created it. For of all the earthly creatures, only man was created to have a soul which reflected the image of God thereby providing such high intelligence and capacity to exercise rulership over all the other created beings on the earth. Hence we may conclude that the serpent in view in Genesis 3 was possessed / influenced by another highly superior created being other than the two humans God had created which leaves an angelic being. So for deceiving Eve and causing her and Adam to sin, (Gen 3:1-7), the LORD GOD cursed the serpent who was possessed by a rebellious angelic creature named in other passages as Satan, God's adversary. God cursed the serpent more than any other creature, relegating serpents now to crawl on their bellies, eating dust as a sign of judgment upon Satan's rebellion. Previous text in Genesis does not describe such an intelligent and evil being, but other passages in Scripture corroborate and provide more details on this. In view of the significance of this conclusion, we will divert from Genesis chapter 3 in order to corroborate this.
"Then God said, 'Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.' "
2) [Compare Gen 1:25, 31 NIV]:
(v. 1:25 NIV) "God made the wild animals according to their kinds, the livestock according to their kinds, and all the creatures that move along the ground according to their kinds. And God saw that it was good.
(v. 1:31 NIV) God saw all that He had made, and it was very good. And there was evening, and there was morning - the sixth day."
Notice that no non-human earthly creature had been equipped to behave in an evil manner. God said that what He had created was good - very good, not evil.
Hence the serpent had to have been possessed by a superior created being who had chosen to do evil and usurp the authority of God as demonstrated in Gen 3:1-6. The only highly intelligent creature in the image of God left besides two humans, Adam and Eve, who might be suspect of such behavior, was the most powerful angelic creature, Lucifer the fallen angel, renamed Satan, literally meaning Adversary [of God]:
(v. 1) '''''The word of the LORD came to me:
(v. 2) ''''Son of man, say to the ruler of Tyre, '''This is what the Sovereign LORD says: "In the pride of your heart you say, 'I am a god; I sit on the throne of a god in the heart of the seas.' But you are a man and not a god, though you think you are as wise as a god.
(v. 3) Are you wiser than Daniel? Is no secret hidden from you?
(v. 4) By your wisdom and understanding you have gained wealth for yourself and amassed gold and silver in your treasuries.
(v. 5) By your great skill in trading you have increased your wealth, and because of your wealth your heart has grown proud." '''
[The Bible Knowledge Commentary, OT, Walvoord & Zuck, Eds, Victor Books, USA, 1988, p. 1282]:
"28:1-5. Ezekiel's third message against Tyre was directed specifically to the ruler of Tyre. 'Ruler'... Ezekiel had prophesied against the whole city; he was now singling out the city's leader for a special word from God. This ruler was Ehtbaal III, who ruled from 591-590 B.C. TO 573-772 B.C.
The underlying sin of Tyre's king was his pride, which prompted him to view himself as a god... Evidently in Ezekiel's day the kings of Tyre believed they were divine.
The king's claims to deity were false. God said, You are a man and not a god. Ethbaal III was only a mortal. Evidently he felt he had wisdom that only a god could possess. In a statement dripping with irony Ezekiel asked the king, Are you wiser than Daniel? Is no secret hidden from you? The 'Daniel' in view was probably the Prophet Daniel... He had already achieved a reputation for his wisdom in the courts of Nebuchadnezzar... The irony was that Ethbaal III felt his wisdom exceeded that of even Daniel who served the country that would ultimately defeat Tyre. Daniel who attributed all his wisdom to God, (cf. Dan 2:27-28), was much wiser than Ethbaal III, who claimed to be a god.
Ethbaal III had been able to use his wisdom and skill to acquire material possessions. His lucrative trade had produced great wealth, including gold and silver, but it also increased his pride (his heart had grown proud)."]
(v. 6) '''Therefore this is what the Sovereign LORD says: "Because you think you are wise, as wise as a god,
(v. 7) I am going to bring foreigners against you, the most ruthless of nations; they will draw their swords against your beauty and wisdom and pierce your shining splendor.
(v. 8) They will bring you down to the pit, and you will die a violent death in the heart of the seas.
(v. 9) Will you then say, 'I am a god,' in the presence of those who kill you? You will be but a man, not a god, in the hands of those who slay you.
(v. 10) You will die the death of the uncircumcised at the hands of foreigners. I have spoken," declares the Sovereign LORD." '''
[BKC, op. cit., pp. 1282-3]:
"28:6-10. God would not let the pride (vv. 2, 5) of Tyre's ruler go unchallenged. The foreigners whom God would bring against Tyre had already been identified as the Babylonians (26:7-11). Babylon was ruthless... in her treatment of others... Unimpressed with Ethbaal's beauty and wisdom, Babylon would destroy him in a violent way in the heat of the seas (cf. 27:26). When slaim by his enemies, it would be evident that he was no god. Ethbaal III was removed from his throne by Nebuchadnezzar in 573-572 B.C. and Baal II was put in his place. Ethbaal III paid a high price for rebelling against Nebuchadnezzar. In fact Ethbaal would die the death of the uncircumcised at the hands of foreigners. While the Phoenicians practiced circumcision, Ezekiel's words conveyed a meaning that went beyond this cultural practice. To 'die the death of the uncircumcised' meant to die in shame (cf. 32:30)... This king who claimed to be a god would suffer an ignoble death as a man."
Notice that verses 1-10 refer to the actual king of Tyre of history which predicts what actually happened in history: his defeat under military attack and violent death "in the heart of the seas... at the hands of his foreigners"]
(v. 11) '''''The word of the LORD came to me:
(v. 12) ''''Son of man, take up a lament concerning the king of Tyre and say to him: '''This is what the Sovereign Lord says: "You were the model of perfection, full of wisdom and perfect in beauty.
(v. 13) You were in Eden, the garden of God; every precious stone adorned you: ruby, topaz and emerald, chrysolite, onyx and jasper, sapphire, turquoise and beryl. Your settings and mountings were made of gold; on the day you were created they were prepared.
[Note that the setting of vv. 11-19 is not the earthly one of the time of the king of Tyre. The king of Tyre never took residence in the garden of Eden, nor was he adorned with every precious stone prepared at the moment of his creation, nor was he a guardian cherub angel. Furthermore, it cannot be figurative, for the details are not consistent with the person of the king of Tyre himself. It is however consistent with an actual angelic being - one of great power who beyond the capacity of the human king of Tyre, was the model of perfection, full of wisdom and perfect in beauty who dwelt in Eden, the garden of God, was adorned with every precious stone set in gold, which was created on the day he was created. Note that the human king of Tyre would be referred to as being born not created in a mature state. This perfect being is the one who was behind the evil actions of the human King of Tyre ]
(v. 14) You were anointed as a guardian cherub, for so I ordained you. You were on the holy mount of God; you walked among the fiery stones.
[Note that a cherub angel was one of supreme authority and power, fully capable of doing what the Serpent did in the garden of Eden, (Gen 3:1-15) Furthermore, it is stipulated that this cherub angel was ordained by God to such a position and was on the holy mount of God among what is described as "the fiery stones". None of this corresponds with a viable description of the human king of Tyre, symbolic or otherwise]
(v. 15) You were blameless in your ways from the day you were created till wickedness was found in you.
[Notice that Lucifer, the name of the angelic creature in view, (cf. Isa 14:12-14), was blameless and perfect in his ways from the day that he was created, until wickedness was found in him. Also note that the King of Tyre was not blameless from the day he was created, but born in sin]
(v. 16) Through your widespread trade you were filled with violence, and you sinned. So I drove you in disgrace from the mount of God and I expelled you, O guardian cherub, from among the fiery stones.
(v. 17) Your heart became proud on account of your beauty, and you corrupted your wisdom because of your splendor. So I threw you to the earth; I made a spectacle of you before kings."
[Notice that this angelic being was expelled from the mount of God in heaven to the earth with no restriction of his behavior so he still could choose to express his evil anywhere on the earth, including the Garden of Eden which he evidently did, (cf. Gen 3:1-15)]
(v. 18) By your many sins and dishonest trade you have desecrated your sanctuaries. So I made a fire come out from you, and it consumed you, and I reduced you to ashes on the ground in the sight of all who were watching.
(v. 19) All the nations who knew you are appalled at you; you have come to a horrible end and will be no more.'''''
[BKC, op. cit., p. 1283]:
"28:11-19.... Ezekiel was not describing an ideal man or a false god in verses 11-26. But his switch from 'ruler' to 'king' and his allusions to the Garden of Eden do imply that the individual being described was more than human. The best explanation is that Ezekiel was describing Satan who was the true 'king' of Tyre, the one motivating the human 'ruler' of Tyre. Satan was in the Garden of Eden (Gen 3:1-7), and his chief sin was pride (1 Tim 3:6). He also had access to God's pressence (cf. Job 1:6-12). Speaking of God's judging the human 'ruler' of Tyre for his pride (Ezek 28:1-10), the prophet lamented the satanic 'king' of Tyre who was also judged for his pride (vv. 11-19). Tyre was motivated by the same sin as Satan, and would suffer the same fate.
Ezekiel described the beauty and perfection of Satan as God originally created him (vv. 12-15a). He was the model of perfection, full of wisdom, and perfect in beauty. God did not create Satan as some prime minister of evil. As with all God's Creation, Satan was a perfectly created being - one of the crowing achievements in God's angelic realm.
Satan was given an exalted place; he was in Eden, the garden of God. Eden was the epitome of God's beautiful Creation on earth (cf. Gen 2:8-14). Satan's beauty matched that of Eden: every precious stone adorned him. Ezekiel listed nine gemstones in describing Satan's beauty... The precious stones probably symbolized Satan's beauty and high position.
God had anointed Satan as a guardian cherub (Ezek 28:14). The cherubim... were the 'inner circle' of angels who had the closest access to God and guarded His holiness (cf. 10:1-14). Satan also had free access to God's holy mount (28:14), heaven, and he walked among the fiery stones (cf. v. 16)... God's fiery wall of protection (cf. Zech 2:5)... Ezekiel was stating that Satan had access to God's presence.
As originally created by God, Satan was blameless... til wickeness was found in him (Ezek 28:15) and he sinned (v. 16). The sin that corrupted Satan was self-generated. Created blameless, his sin was pride, (1 Tim 3:6), because of his beauty. Satan spoiled his wisdom because of his splendor... Satan's pride led to his fall and judgment.
Though Ezekiel presented the fall of Satan as a single act, it actually occurred in stages. Satan's initial judgment was his expulsion from the position of God's anointed cherub before His throne. God expelled him from the mount of God (heaven, v. 16; cf. v. 14). Satan was cast from God's government in heaven (cf. Luke 10:18) but was still allowed access to God (cf. Job 1:6-12; Zech 3:1-2)...
One of the elements of Satan's sin was his widespread dishonest trade. The word for trade comes from the verb 'rAkal' which means 'to go about from one to another.' Ezekiel had used that noun in speaking of Tyre's commercial activities (Ezek 28:5)... Ezekiel was comparing the human 'prince' of Tyre and his satanic 'king.'
So Ezekiel used a word that could convey a broad meaning. Satan's position in heaven involved broad contact with many elements of God's creation much as the prince of Tyre's position enabled him to contact many nations.
Though Ezekiel was describing the 'ultimate' ruler of Tyre, Satan, the purpose of the lament was to speak of the city's destruction. So he began to blend the characteristics of the satanic king with the human ruler. Satan would be cast to the earth (v. 17), and the king of Tyre would also be cast down before other kings, his enemies. Satan's ultimate destiny will be the lake of fire (cf. Rev 21:10), and the defeat and death of the human ruler of Tyre was pictured as being consumed by fire (Ezek 28:18). Both Satan's and Tyre's defeats would shock those nations who had followed them. They would be appalled because of Satan's and Tyre's horrible end (cf. 27:35-36)."
(v. 14:12 YLT) "How you have fallen from heaven, O star of the morning, son of the dawn! You have been cut down to the earth, You who have weakened the nations! "
At this point in chapter 14 the subject switches from the king of Babylon who is portrayed as fallen in physical death to Sheol, in the depths of the earth, to the same fate as other rulers, to a rebellious angelic being as if the latter were somehow responsible for the former's cruel rulership on earth.
The Hebrew word "heylel" rendered "Lucifer" in the KJV literally means light bearer, or morning star which the latter most readily fits the context since such a light bearer is portayed as coming from heaven above and is referred to in verse 12 as "son of the dawn" which implies a light bearer above the earth at dawn, i.e., a morning star. The planet Venus is often referred to as the morning star.
The term Lucifer in fourth century Latin was a name for Venus, the morning star. The Latin word Lucifer is composed of two words: lux, or in the genitive form used lucis, (meaning "light") and ferre, which means "to bear" or "to bring." So, the word Lucifer means bearer of light as does "heylel" in the Hebrew. Hence the name Lucifer has been adopted over into English to mean "light bearer" and in specific contexts such as Isa 14:12, refers to the fallen angel, later named Satan, as rendered in a number of key versions, (KJV, NKJV, etc.).
On the other hand, since the beginning of verse 14:12 describes a morning star having fallen from heaven; and since stars don't occupy the heaven where God's throne resides; and since a star would destroy the earth if it fell to it; then we can conclude that verse 12 is figurative, with a literal meaning behind it. "Heylel" is further described as having fallen from heaven to the ground, i.e., to the earth resulting in weakening the "gowy" literally people or nations, i.e., mankind, corroborating that "Heylel" refers to an angelic being. Hence we can conclude that verse 12 portrays an angelic being who has fallen from his residence in heaven, evidently having committed some kind of offense toward God, i.e., sin; was cast down to earth where his actions caused mankind to weaken, i.e., become sinful]
(v. 13 NIV) You said in your heart, 'I will ascend to heaven; I will raise my throne above the stars of God; I will sit enthroned on the mount of assembly, on the utmost heights of the sacred mountain.
(v. 14) I will ascend above the tops of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High.'
[The reason why an angelic being was thrown out of heaven is made clear in verses 13 and 14: Lucifer aspired to ascend to heaven to raise his throne above the stars of God which most likely refers to angelic beings because the position of inanimate stars in the heavens is hardly something for an angelic being who already has access to heaven and the throne room of God to aspire to]
(Job 1:6 NIV) "One day the angels came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan also came with them.
(Job 1:7 NIV) The LORD said to Satan, 'Where have you come from?' Satan answered the LORD, 'From roaming through the earth and going back and forth in it.
(Job 1:8 NIV) Then the LORD said to Satan, 'Have you considered my servant Job? There is no one on earth like him; he is blameless and upright, a man who fears God and shuns evil.'
(Job 1:9 NIV) 'Does Job fear God for nothing?' Satan replied.
(Job 1:10 NIV) 'Have you not put a hedge around him and his household and everything he has? You have blessed the work of his hands, so that his flocks and herds are spread throughout the land.
(Job 1:11 NIV) But stretch out your hand and strike everything he has, and he will surely curse you to your face.'
(Job 1:12 NIV) The LORD said to Satan, 'Very well, then, everything he has is in your hands, but on the man himself do not lay a finger.' Then Satan went out from the presence of the LORD."
[So the evil angel Satan = literally, "Adversary" of God], roamed the earth "going back and forth in it" looking for faults in humans in order to show them to God. He especially opposed God when God blessed, protected and enabled Job to walk blameless before Him. In Job 1:11, Satan indicated that he wanted to provoke an individual to curse God to His face by causing him great harm, (Job 1:11). Such an angel demonstrated a capability, willingness and availability on earth to possess the serpent in the garden of Eden and deceive Eve into sinning, (cf. Gen 3:1-15).
XV) [Gen 3:15]:
(v. 3:15 NKJV) "And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her Seed; He shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise His heel."
TWO SPIRITUAL (NOT BIOLOGICAL) SEEDS ARE IN VIEW:
1) THOSE INDIVIDUALS WHO FOLLOW SATAN IN SPIRITUAL REBELLION ARE DECLARED SEED OF SATAN - ANGELS AND HUMANS ALIKE. THEY ARE FURTHER DECLARED BY GOD TO BE AT ENMITY WITH THE WOMAN, EVE, AND HER SEED:
2) A SEED, WHICH BIOLOGICALLY COMES FROM THE MALE, IN ORDER TO BE THE SEED OF THE WOMAN, HAD TO BE PRODUCED INTO A FEMALE PHYSICAL DESCENDANT OF THE WOMAN SUPERNATURALLY AND SPIRITUALLY BY GOD TO RESULT IN AN INDIVIDUAL MALE DESCENDANT TO REPRESENT THE HUMAN RACE - A MESSIAH-SAVIOR - IN THE BATTLE WITH SATAN AND HIS SEED TO PROVIDE ETERNAL RECONCILIATION FOR HUMANITY WITH GOD AND REGAIN SOVEREIGNTY OF THE HUMAN RACE OVER THE WORLD
(v. 3:15 NKJV) "And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her Seed; He shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise His heel." =
The Hebrew words "zar’akhA" and "zar’Ahh' " rendered "your seed" and "her Seed" respectively in 3:15 in the NKJV usually has a biological connotation; but in Genesis 3:15, the Hebrew words "zar’akhA" and "zar’Ahh' " refer to:
1) Those individuals - angelic and human - who deliberately follow, i.e., are given 'birth' as seed of the Agent (Satan) who possessed the serpent and caused Eve to sin. Note that that Agent is a spiritual being, not a physical one, hence seed has a spiritual connotation, not a physical one. Furthermore, all of the seed of Satan were declared by God to be at enmity with the woman and her Seed.
2) The second word rendered seed in Genesis 3:15 which is rendered with a capital "S" in the NKJV, is portrayed as resulting in a male physical descendant of the woman, Eve, in 3:15c: "He shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise His heel." The word seed when it is used to portray a physical descendant, normally refers to a seed which biologically comes from the male; but in the case of Gen 3:15, the phrase "the seed of the woman" is stipulated as opposed to the normal phrase 'the seed of the man.' Hence the word "Seed" in this case refers to a Seed which must be produced supernaturally and spiritually by God into a female physical descendant of the woman, Eve, in order to result in an individual male descendant of that woman. The Seed of the woman, Eve, is futher portrayed as representing the whole human race - a Messiah-Savior, hence the capital "Seed" - in doing battle with Satan and his seed to regain the lost sovereignty of the human race, usurped by Satan; and to provide an opportunity for every individual human being to be eternally reconciled with God relative to sin.
(v. 3:15 NKJV) "And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her Seed; He shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise His heel." =
The word "shuph," [Str. # 7779], rendered "shall bruise" twice in 3:15 connotes a striking blow which is purposed to cause destruction.
The LORD GOD spoke to Satan who possessed the serpent in the garden and caused Adam and Eve to sin, usurping their position of authority over the world. He said, "And I [the LORD GOD] will put enmity, [i.e., decree mutual hostility] between you [Satan] and the woman [Eve, who is the mother of all humanity, (cf. 3:20)].
Notice from Gen 3:1 on, it was not Satan's intent to have hostility, but to gain sovereignty over Eve, humanity and the world. He successfully deceived and hence manipulated her and Adam so as to usurp their position and God's authority given to them by God over the earth.
... and [enmity] between your seed and her Seed =
[And there was also decreed by God to be enmity between the seed of Satan, i.e., those who chose to rebel against the LORD GOD, to be spiritually like Satan: unbelieving and rebellious angelic and human beings. They are 'birthed' by Satan in the sense of choosing to rebel against God after Satan's example. Satan evidently makes a constant effort to tempt others to follow him in rebellion against God]
and her Seed =
[= a single individual is portrayed in 3:15b considering the next phrase in 3:15c, ("He shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise His heel"), which has a single individual in view. This Individual is stipulated as the Seed of the woman, Eve, portraying a supernatural birth via a spiritually provided Seed to impregnate a female descendant of Eve to give birth to a male descendant Who will represent all of humanity in battle with Satan and his seed to regain the lost sovereignty of the human race over the world and provide an opportunity for every individual human being to be eternally reconciled with God relative to sin.
The LORD GOD then said, 'He [the single individual Messiah Savior] shall bruise [strike] your head, [ i.e., deliver a mortal blow via an act which destroys Satan and the evil he did and restores humanity to its original sinless state]
and you [Satan] will bruise [strike] his heel, [i.e., deliver a non-mortal blow, i.e., cause him injury but not mortal to His existence and purpose, giving Him the victory over sin for all humanity over Satan and his evil work which caused Adam and Eve to sin, destroy their relationship with God and lose control of their rulership over the world to Satan]